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Updated: Feb 22, 2026

Multidisciplinary Approach to Obesity Management: A Case Report
Published on: May 30, 2025
Past, present and future of pharmacotherapy for obesity
David Benaiges1, Juan Pedro-Botet1, Juana A Flores-Le Roux1
1Servicio de Endocrinología y Nutrición, Hospital del Mar de Barcelona, Barcelona, España; Departament de Medicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, España; Institut Hospital del Mar d'Investigacions Mèdiques (IMIM), Barcelona, España.
Abstract:
Conventional treatment for obesity with diet, exercise and bariatric surgery has limitations; thus, it is necessary to have pharmacological tools. In the past, different drugs were marketed that were withdrawn due to safety problems. There are currently 3 drugs approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for obesity therapy (orlistat, combination of bupropion and delayed-release naltrexone and liraglutide) and two more only authorized by FDA (lorcaserin and the combination of phentermine and extended release topiramate). It is recommended to use as a second therapeutic line and its choice should be individualized taking into account multiple aspects such as expected weight loss, route of administration, safety profile and cost. Currently there are several drugs under development that act on different therapeutic targets.
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